Head of the Bolshoi Ballet troupe, Sergey Filin, was attacked by a man this evening, Jan. 17th, who threw acid in his face. He is in a nearby hospital with his wife and family at present time.

A detailed report on ITAR TASS -- http://www.itar-tass.com/c1/624353.html -- states that press agent Katerina Novikova spoke with him previously that evening before the attack and all seemed normal. Several hours later she went to see him in the hospital, where he is conscious, but suffered 3rd degree chemical burns to his eye and face. Recently he had received numerous threats, including someone who had broke into his Facebook page and attempted to post information about him that would have compromised his position at the Bolshoi. More than once his tires had been slashed. Doctors say his rehabilitation will require at least 6 months.

Horrible! I've certainly heard of all sorts of verbal tiffs/assaults/aggresiveness at theatres, but to move on to this kind of horrific physical violence is beyond belief. Sounds like a lot of people need to take a good hard look at what is really important, and whether there needs to be big changes in the theatre/theatre world/Moscow/Russia if people are going to this lengths of violence.

Catherine, do you know how accurate the reports are likely to be? 3rd degree burns are VERY serious, and would suggest that he's likely to have lost the vision in the eye, never mind permanent scarring.

Horrible! I've certainly heard of all sorts of verbal tiffs/assaults/aggresiveness at theatres, but to move on to this kind of horrific physical violence is beyond belief. Sounds like a lot of people need to take a good hard look at what is really important, and whether there needs to be big changes in the theatre/theatre world/Moscow/Russia if people are going to these lengths of violence.

Catherine, do you know how accurate the reports are likely to be? 3rd degree burns are VERY serious, and would suggest that he's likely to have lost the vision in the eye, never mind permanent scarring.

Kate

Hi Kate,

I've inquired of some friends on the scene in Moscow and am waiting to hear back. From what I understand there's no debate that it was acid, and no debate that there are 3rd degree burns. I don't know the amount of acid or how long it took him to get to that hospital (nor do I know if the time would relate to the degree of the burn, since it was acid, and i'm not a physician). I presume and fear he will be disfigured for life and may lose his eyesight. So yes as you point out, it's very serious. As someone pointed out, this was a very personal attack. You don't try to disfigure someone permanently unless you have a personal gripe (at least logically speaking but there is a lot that defies logic here). I do not believe his life will be the same again but i very much PRAY for a miracle and that he can return to how he was. There are alot of things that scare me but I think this incident is the top of my list.

As the article notes, Filin's mother knew who did it. I believe Filin and others in the company also know. And that this individual was also behind the phone threats and tire slashing Filin incurred prior to this horrific incident. We hope justice will be served.

I'm also no doctor, but if I remember correctly from my EMT training, acid burns are particularly nasty because, depending on the chemical, the acid can keep causing damage until the chemical reaction is stopped. But 3rd degree is 3rd degree, and we can only hope that Filin got timely medical care from professionals who were well trained in dealing with chemical burns.

In any case, my thoughts are with Filin and his family. I hope that his family is safe, and that the perpetrator is quickly apprehended and faces a fair trial and proper justice for his or her crime. If anything positive can come out of this tragedy, may it be a realization that the situation at the Bolshoi must change. There is nothing in the theatre worth a person's vision or life.

Oddly enough I watched an Oscar winning film about acid attacks called Saving Face on television the night before last and now know more about the effects of acid than I'm comfortable with, but the fact that he received immediate treatment minimises the worst of the effects. Dr Mohammad Jawad is a brilliant plastic surgeon who has huge experience of acid burns and should Filin find his face disfigured (I sincerely hope not) than a least someone exists here in London that can work miracles after this kind of attack.

RussiaToday's coverage includes the following quotable quote from Bolshoi spokesperson Ekaterina Novikova: “We never imagined that a war for roles – not for real estate or for oil – could reach this level of crime,” Novikova said to Channel One.

"The attack on Sergei Filin is no accident. The Bolshoi has manydiseases: a loathsome claque,... half-crazy fanatics prepared to bitethe throats of any rivals to their idols, … placing lies andscandalous interviews in the press. This is one giant snowball, andits cause is the gradual collapse of theatrical ethics at the Bolshoiand among certain individuals. That is the real trouble with thisgreat theatre."

Apparently Filin, face and head heavily bandaged, has talked to the press. Some reports are now indicating that he will not be going to Belgium - he was initially to be sent to a military hospital for treatment of the burns, but saving his vision was first priority.

"The attack on Sergei Filin is no accident. The Bolshoi has manydiseases: a loathsome claque,... half-crazy fanatics prepared to bitethe throats of any rivals to their idols, … placing lies andscandalous interviews in the press. This is one giant snowball, andits cause is the gradual collapse of theatrical ethics at the Bolshoiand among certain individuals. That is the real trouble with thisgreat theatre."

I would be particularly wary about placing any credence on any views expressed on 'The Arts Desk' website. Ismene Brown has been dipping her pen in vitriol when writing about the Bolshoi for as long as I can remember though her hatred for the company in general and for certain of its members in particular is very difficult to understand.

She has an almost pathological hatred of Yuri Grigorovich and Nikolai Tsiskaridze and she is currently flying too close to the wind with her current insinuations towards the latter, who if she continues along these lines will actually have grounds to sue.

Sorry to be responding to my own post, but it appears (from Ellen Barry’s report in the New York Times) that the quote that was atteibuted to Filin, was actually made by Yuri Burlak, one of his predecessors at the Bolshoi:

UPDATED SUNDAY: Moscow police have revealed that Bolshoi Ballet director Sergei Filin was attacked with sulphuric acid, causing third-degree burns to his face and eyes. As he recovered today from a second round of surgery on his damaged eyes, his public rival described the assault as "monstrous". The star dancer Nikolai Tsiskaridze, who has been widely accused of inspiring fanatical opposition to the current Bolshoi management, today condemned the attack. . . .

The condition of artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet, Sergei Filin, has stabilized. Several operations are still ahead and then a long recovery period. However, no questions about his health are arising among doctors. But among legal authorities, there are a lot of questions.

Leading Moscow specialists gather at Hospital #36 almost every morning now: examination of the star patient, a consilium, a report to journalists. Sergei Filin is better. And most importantly - he can see. No other details. Even the head opthamologist of the capital won't issue a prognosis.

"The progress is positive. That is how it should be, the recovery process is coming along, more actively in one eye. But, as a rule, in pair organs, identical harm doesn't happen: one is always better than the other. The difference is insignificant, but we hope that the one that is worse will get better," says Larisa Mashetova, head opthamalogist of the Eye Center of Hospital #36.

On Friday, less than a day after the attack, an operation on the balletmaster's eyes was done at #36. Now he's in the recovery ward, and after tomorrow Sergei Filin awaits another operation. And yet another on Tuesday. The help of plastic surgeons is required.

"The depth of the damage - first, second, and third degree. The swelling in his face has been arrested, the surface healing has begun," said the director of the Burn Center at the 36th State Hospital Yuri Tyurnikov.

It was learned that the balletmaster had concentrated sulphuric acid thrown at him. The doctors promise that the his face will not be disfigured. The recovery will take about a month.

Since Thursday, almost all of the Bolshoi Theatre and even the Minister of Culture has visited the balletmaster. Doctors asked those who are still planning to come visit Sergei Filin to wait while his wounds heal. Specialists fear that visitors will bring in viral infections from outside.

"He's eating, sleeping, meeting guests. He's a man with a sense of humor, quite active. He's a good man," the doctors smile.

Among the balletmaster's guests were also investigators. They spent two hours with Sergei. However, nothing is known yet about the investigation, although the family and those in the Theatre claim that they can guess who is behind the attack on the artistic director of the ballet troupe.

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